Suing After a Life-Threatening Injury at their Nursing Home 

 Posted on October 21, 2022 in Nursing Home Abuse

Older adults are amongst the most vulnerable of our society's population. In many instances, a person of advanced age may be unable to care for themselves properly. In some cases, they may need lots of assistance or just a little help here or there. At the very least, when you place your loved one in a nursing home facility, you expect their needs to be acknowledged and met by the healthcare professionals working there.

Any family's worst nightmare is for their loved one to suffer a life-threatening injury while living in a nursing home facility. Unfortunately, when an injury of this type occurs,it sometimes results from some form of nursing home abuse and neglect. If your loved one has suffered a life-threatening injury while at a nursing home, consider contacting an attorney with experience working in cases where elder abuse may occur. 

Most Common Serious Injuries Suffered in Nursing Homes

There are a variety of severe injuries that older adults can sustain while living in a nursing home. These injuries include:

• Falling – The bones of the elderly are far more brittle than those of other age demographics. As a result, a seemingly harmless fall for a middle-aged person is likely to be far more severe in someone of advanced age. Due to their brittle bones, elderly patients are more at risk of suffering a fracture from a fall. Depending on the fall, nursing home patients may never fully recover from an injury they sustain from falling.

• Bed Sores – These types of sores manifest themselves on someone's skin when a person is left in the same position for an extended period since the elderly may have difficulty moving into different positions. If not promptly taken care of, these pressure sores can escalate into possibly deadly infections. Bed sores can be more common in facilities suffering from inadequate staffing. With less staff to look after patients, the chance of someone being left in the same position for an extended period increases. 

• Infections – Nursing home facilities are the home of many different viruses and bacteria. Since many elderly patients may have weakened immune systems, they are at heightened risk for medical emergencies like sepsis.

• Medication errors – Under-prescribing, over-prescribing, and mixing medications can lead to serious and sometimes even fatal complications.

• Choking – Older patients may have difficulty chewing their food, increasing the likelihood of choking. This dangerous situation can be exacerbated when a facility is understaffed and cannot oversee patients while eating. In addition, due to the inability to chew and confidently swallow food, patients may also suffer from malnutrition or dehydration.

• Abuse – According to the World Health Organization, older people's physical, psychological, and sexual abuse can lead to serious injuries and even death. As the population ages, rates of abuse are expected to increase.  

Contact a Chicago Nursing Home Serious Injury Attorney 

It can be challenging to prove that a nursing home is responsible for a patient sustaining a life-threatening injury. Multiple contributing factors may be at play. If someone you love has suffered a life-threatening injury while living in a nursing home, consider contacting the experienced Cook County nursing home life-threatening injury lawyers at Schwartz Injury Law to review your case. Call us today at 312-535-4625 to schedule a free and private consultation.

 Source: 

https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/abuse-of-older-people